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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. clip — a video
  6. suit — to fit
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mark — a trace
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fork — in a road
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stock — shares
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stock — goods
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com